Od. Schoch et Hl. Rieder, CHARACTERISTICS OF SPUTUM SMEAR-POSITIVE TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT HIV-INFECTION IN A HOSPITAL IN ZIMBABWE, The European respiratory journal, 9(2), 1996, pp. 284-287
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has a large impact on tub
erculosis in Africa. In this study, the prevalence of HIV infection in
a population of hospitalized tuberculosis patients in Zimbabwe was de
termined and demographic characteristics, clinical signs and symptoms,
as well as radiographic appearance were compared in tuberculosis pati
ents with and without HIV infection. During a 5 month observation peri
od, information on tuberculosis patients referred to Driefontein Tuber
culosis Sanatorium, Mvuma, Zimbabwe was collected, computerized and an
alysed with commercially available software. Of 467 patients admitted,
255 were sputum smear positive for acid-fast bacilli, Of 196 patients
with complete information, 127 (65%) were HIV-seropositive. When comp
ared to the 69 HIV-seronegative patients, HIV-infected patients were n
ot different in age, gender, the period of delay between the onset of
symptoms and diagnosis, radiographic appearance, history of previous a
ntituberculosis treatment and symptoms and signs reported, with the ex
ception of herpes tester and other sexually-transmitted disease. The p
revalence of HIV infection in our population of tuberculosis patients
was large. However, since demographic and clinical characteristics are
remarkably similar in tuberculosis patients with and without HIV infe
ction, case-finding activities need not be altered in the wake of the
HIV epidemic.